Powerco Tasmania manager Richard Sheather says gas is now flowing in five stage-one backbone networks - Longford, Westbury, Bell Bay, Wynyard and Devonport.

In Launceston, only approximately three kilometres of steel pipe is still to be laid, with Powerco anticipating this work will be completed by the end of November and gas flowing to major customers before Christmas.

About four kilometres of steel pipeline is still to be installed between Bridgewater and the Elwick pressure station, with testing there planned before Christmas and customers connected by mid-January. A further three kilometres of steel pipe is scheduled to be installed after the Christmas break.

In Hobart, drilling contractors are about 400 metres across the Derwent River; while work on the Burnie stage-one network is due to be completed before the end of this month.

Powerco was constructing several network extensions, including Salamanca Place, which would go live by March, and the Burnie foreshore extension, due for completion by mid-2005,according to Sheather. These were outside the Stage one and Stage 2A agreements signed with the Tasmanian Government. The Stage 2A residential rollout is scheduled to start early next year.

Meanwhile, the NZX has halted trading in Powerco shares and bonds in anticipation of Brisbane-based Prime Infrastructure completing its takeover of Powerco, through subsidiary Prime Infrastructure Networks (New Zealand) Limited. Powerco securities will be suspended until Powerco’s delisting has been approved.